Ebb and Flow Hydroponics Design - Parts and Materials

This page will list all tools and parts needed to build an ebb and flow hydroponics system. The total cost of parts should be under $100 dollars US with the submersible pump costing the most. But be consoled that this system is reusable and will work for years to come.

To build your ebb and flow hydroponics system you will need a drill and some silicone. I use food-grade silicone that is guaranteed not to leach out toxins but so little of it is used and exposed to the water flow that it probably does not make any difference. Silcone can be found in any department or hardware store.

The first part needed is a plastic container for holding growing medium and growing your plants. My growing container is approximately 24 inches by 18 inches by 7 inches deep and looks like this:



Ignore the 2 tubes attached to the 2 fittings and focus on the container itself. We will deal with construction issues later. This was originally part of a pre-made kit I purchased but any type of plastic storage container found in department stores can be used. Just make sure it's at least 7 inches deep.

The second part needed in the Ebb and Flow Hydroponics design is a plastic container to hold the pump and nutrient solution. The container I use is really a clothes storage container 22 inches by 14 inches by 17 inches deep. The dimensions don't really matter as long as the container can easily hold 8 to 9 gallons of water. Here is a picture of my nutrient container:



Third, 2 water outlet fittings will be needed and can probably be found in a local hardware store or ordered online through a hydroponics supply site. They are called '90 degree thru wall - with nut, barbed fittings' and you will need 2 of these, identical to each other. Try to get a 'barb size' that is the same size as your submersible pump outlet or you will need to increase or reduce the tube connecting them - which is easy to do. The fittings look like this:



Next is the most expensive part of your ebb and flow hydroponics design - the submersible pump. This will have to be ordered online. To determine the type of pump needed, follow the guidelines in the Hydroponics Pump Page My pump has served me well for years - so long, in fact, that I do not know it's specifications or even where I ordered it. This is a picture of it:



You will also need an aquarium air pump with tube and air stone (each purchased separately for some reason). These items can be found in a pet store or department store. The following picture just shows the pump and part of the tubing but does not show the small blue air stone needed:



The Ebb and Flow hydroponics system will also need a timer, found in any department store (try to get one in 15 minute increments), pea stone gravel to be used as growing medium (purchased in 40 lb, .5 cubic feet bags) and, finally, hydroponics nutrient from an online hydroponics store. Here are pictures of these items:

And that is it...purchase and assemble all your tools and equipment and onwards to construction...


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